Club wrestlers put skills to test at state tournament

WASILLA — Those who think marathoners are crazy for running three or four hours straight to travel 26.2 miles should try six minutes on the mat.

At least, that’s what Ed Gravley thinks, and as a marathoner and lifetime wrestler, there’s no hesitation when asking him which is the more difficult sport.

“Oh, wrestling is much harder,” he said. “You use every muscle group you’ve go in your body. It’s much tougher.”

Gravley had to speak up to be heard over the din in the main arena at the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center Saturday afternoon, as hundreds of wrestlers, coaches and families rushed from mat to mat as part of a statewide Alaska USA Wrestling tournament. Nearly 400 competed in Friday’s Greco Roman tournament, and about 850 in Saturday’s freestyle tourney, said Gravley, vice chairman for Alaska USA Wrestling and tournament director. This year’s event also featured a folkstyle tournament. Folkstyle is what’s wrestled at most high schools.

Ranging in age from very young to adult, Alaska USA Wrestling is affiliated with USA Wrestling and serves as the umbrella organization for dozens of wrestling clubs. Most of those clubs were represented at the weekend tournament, a qualifier for the region tournament. From the Valley, five clubs were on the mat: Mat-Su Matmen, Tri-Valley Wrestling, Arctic Warriors, Mid-Valley Wrestling and North Star Wrestling.

While the ultimate prize is a spot at the regional tournament, most wrestle for the competition and singular experience of matching up one-on-one with another opponent in your same age and weight groups.

“It’s pretty cool,” said Palmer High School student Aaron Molesky, 16, who wrestles for the Arctic Warriors. “It’s just you out there.”

Molesky spoke after winning a freestyle match, and said he was going for the “triple crown,” placing first in all three disciplines. He won the 132-pound Cadet class Greco Roman tournament Friday, and was working his way to a freestyle title Saturday afternoon.

“I like the freestyle better than folkstyle, with the rolling and different scoring,” he said. He also recommends the sport for youth. “It gets you farther in life and teaches you a good work ethic.”

For 10-year-old Lane Booth, who wrestles for Tri-Valley, the sport is a family affair and good for his own survival being the youngest of three boys.

“They toss me around a lot,” he said about his brothers. “Sometimes I get even and throw them around sometimes.”

He looks forward to being older, because “I’ll be bigger, too, so I might be able to throw them around more. I’ll remember that they used to do that to me.”

“No, that won’t happen,” responded brother Wade Booth, 15. Even if his younger sibling grows up, “I’ll always be more superior.”

The brothers were taking a break following Lane’s win over a wrestler from Bethel in the freestyle tourney, a pin at the 1 minute, 35 second mark of the second period. It was a win that a few hours ago Lane wasn’t in the mood for.

“I lost a match earlier and I didn’t think I wanted to wrestle anymore, because I really wanted first, and I won’t get it now,” he said, adding he’s glad he continued.

That’s an important lesson, said dad David Booth, a Tri-Valley Wrestling coach and head coach for the Colony High School program.

“It’s life training,” he said of the sport. “You have to work hard, you’re out there all by yourself, that’s what it is. It’s all about you and what you do.”

He also said that while winning is nice, that’s not what he teaches young wrestlers.

“I’ve coach awhile, and you just want them to do what they’re coached,” he said. “Wins and losses aren’t what’s important; it’s doing what we do in practice. If we win, that’s a bonus.”

Although wrestling is an individual sport, it’s also an activity that brings his family closer, coach Booth said.

“My wife’s real involved in the club, we all hang out together and it’s awesome,” he said, adding he doesn’t pressure his kids to get on the mat. “We ask them when they get up on the weekends if they want to wrestle. If they say yes, we wrestle, if they don’t, we don’t.”

Contact reporter Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.